Free World Forum- Third Thursdays
Curated by
India Cooke, violin and
Lewis Jordan, saxophone
August 20, September 17
A new forum for great black art and beyond: Innovative explorations from the roots to the branches of music, dance, visual art, and word. Bringing local, national and international performers, scholars, students and interested public together in a forum designed to enhance and broaden understanding and awareness of the dynamic
cultural impact of African American music and art, in all its diverse expressions. Performers TBA.
Suggested donation $20. No one turned away for lack of funds.
India Cooke, violinist, recorded and released, to critical acclaim, her Grammy nominated debut CD as a leader, IndiaCooke~Redhanded (Music and Arts 1996).
Her continuing jazz and improvisational experiences include performances and recordings with Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, George Lewis, Pharoah Sanders, Julius Hemphill, Reggie Workman, George Sams, Abdul Wadud,Charles "Bobo" Shaw, Peter Kowald, John Lindberg, James Emery, Eddie Marshall, E.W. Wainwright, John Tchicai, Michael White, Pauline Oliveros, Donald Robinson,
Lewis Jordan, and Bill Crossman, among many others.
Lewis Jordan, alto and baritone saxophones
Born in San Francisco, he grew up in Chicago, with the blues, while learning to associate creative musicians with the advancement of society as we know it. He is an international touring and recording musician, poet, actor and playwright. He was a founding member of United Front, a seminal San Francisco Bay Area ensemble known for its originality, aggressive imagination and cultural synthesis. Presenting his music and words in performance, he continues to carry the torch.
He has focused on creative structures for improvisation, which has led to working with artists from a range of practice: dance, poetry, theater and music, presented in his Music At-Large series. He continues to seek out performers who strive for modes of expression that honor their traditions while speaking to the urgency of the present. If that's in B-flat, fine. If it's in time, that could work too. If it's outside, it must be honest.